Summary

Klein writes that in 2006 Al Gore convinced Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group that the world was in climate crisis. He and his development director created a new approach to doing business that was called Gaia Capitalism. Branson pledged to spend $3 billion over the next decade to develop alternate fuels to fight climate change. Klein explains that the money would come directly from profits earned from Virgin’s fossil fuel burning jets and trains. By doing this, Branson was setting an example for other business owners. The next year Branson offered a $25 million award in a competition called Earth Challenge for the innovation of a method to sequester one billion tons of carbon from the air each year. He also vowed to develop a low carbon jet fuel.

Klein notes that Branson stood out has a heroic figure willing to risk profits...